Inside the Making of: THRWD ISSUE 6 EDITORIAL

Every successful photoshoot has one thing in common; collaboration and communication. Sometimes everything magically falls into place; location, model, wardrobe, makeup artist...and sometimes it's an adventure getting there. One thing I can say with confidence is that even after weeks of planning and overcoming obstacles, everything works with a great team. If it wasn't for THRWD, Rick Flores (hair/MUA), Chloe & Dragonfly Agency, Glasshouse Studio (studio for daily rent, best light in Dallas, and great prices), Edo Popken (clothing designer), and Michael Dylan assisting, it would have never been what it was.

But before all that, you need an idea and visual inspiration. It can be from anywhere; advertisements, movies, art. After I had the theme of 'menswear' set in stone, I searched on Tumblr for visual inspiration. It doesn't have to be the best images, or what you want the images to look like, but it does have to capture the same theme and feeling you are trying to explore. I included a few of the images I found below...

Those are just a small preview of the storyboard for this shoot. Next was finding the perfect model, so a trip to The Dragonfly Agency was mandatory. Although Dallas has many fantastic agencies, I kept hearing about some fresh faces at Dragonfly that I just HAD to work with. They weren't wrong! As soon as I saw Chloe, I knew she would be the ideal model for this shoot. As great as that sounds, the downside of finding a model like that is limited availability. This went on for a few weeks; when I could get the studio and Ricky, Chloe was either out of town or booked. Looking back at it, I'm glad we shot a little later... if I hadn't gone to Edo Popken's party, I would not have thought to contact him for wardrobe (I was concerned with sizing initially). But as soon as I went into the store and pulled the tuxedo, the shirts, and the blazer, I was hooked!

So the next challenge was setting up a perfect time and day to shoot. We decided..after rescheduling 3 times (Chloe unexpectedly got a fever the day of the last time scheduled). We finally set it up for a Saturday, and it was the best day we had ended up choosing. Instead of the other days, which had rainy weather and mediocre natural light, this was overcast, even, and bright.

The looks were all styled by me pretty much on the spot, progressing as the shoot progressed. As I said, it's very important to be able to adapt and think quickly on your feet when shooting. Everything from the camera settings, to the changing light, clothes, and general atmosphere of the shoot must come together for a great image.

The THRWD Issue will be printed in the next few months, and I will post where you can get it! If you're in Dallas, we will have one of our great issue release parties as always. A big thank you to Glasshouse Studios, Dragonfly Agency, Rick Flores, Edo Popken, and Smith the 2nd for making this possible!

Instagram: Czarina_Ekaterina

#dallasfashion #thrwdmagazine #ekaterinakouznetsova #thrwddallas #photoshoot #dragonflyagency #dallasphotography #edopopken #edopopkendallas

LORIS GREAUD CREATES AND DESTROYS IN THE UNPLAYED NOTES MUSEUM

Loris Greaud wows the world once again with his new exhibition at the 26,000-square-foot Dallas Contemporary. The Unplayed Notes Museum is the French artists most mysterious show to date, culminating with a spectacular dichotomy of creation versus destruction at the opening. Patrons of the Contemporary were greeted with a droning, deep bass that could be felt vibrating throughout the entire body. A few steps into a massive, dark room and they encountered a floor-to-ceiling, black and white video filmed in infrared of various sexual acts with layered, disorienting effects. The hypnotizing visual stimulation and the all-encompassing bass transported the viewer into another dimension of being, almost as if in a dream.

The oversized angels on the opposite side of the room included shattered paster heads around a globe, and were even more impressive after noticing 6,000 dead, preserved butterflies of different species. Another installation in a smaller space included altered molds of Versailles sculptures, alternating lighting, lacquer wall art, and a starry ceiling. The largest installation included a tree from Vietnam that was turned upside down, its roots later formed into a tree, surrounded by tens of delicate molds of doe-like yet foreign, etherial creatures. The last room featured a grid of silver plaster hands on top of slick marble pedestals, illuminated by a single strip of white light.

Each installation holds a certain personality and feeling, yet the exhibition is uniform in how it displaces the viewers into Loris’s mind. More so than an exhibition, it’s an experience, and one that took 5 years to complete, all leading up to this moment. Halfway through the opening, an angel statue is pushed over by a hired actor and all hell broke loose. Large security guards clad in all black started escorting the patrons out of the gallery amid bright lights and loud alarms. The facade of society dropped within minutes in the destruction and chaos, being pushed by people on all sides and catching glimpses of sculptures being violently destroyed was something out of a strange dream. The crowd was out of control, and in themselves became a part of the exhibition. The aftermath of the destruction included 40% of the exhibition destroyed, with the destruction becoming a part of the exhibition.

The art of “Destruction” has never been done in Dallas or at the Contemporary on this scale, and Greaud stated this mirrors the violence and destruction in our modern society. Overall, this was one of the most progressive and experimental exhibitions shown in Dallas. Following a positive local and international reception, it put both the Dallas Contemporary and Loris Greaud on the map as never before…and that’s where they will stay.

Photography courtesy of Kenny Pham

Links:

Loris Greaud

Dallas Contemporary

#lorisgreaud #dallascontemporary

The Space Between - Adam Ball

Imperfect Symmetry

The Space Between

Fearless

Communion

Genus

Resolve (Left), Aegis (Right)

Although many artists see their work as a part of themselves, few, if any, manage to accomplish such a feat. No artist has done what Adam Ball has accomplished; a perfect balance of themselves and the natural world directly reflected in their work. THE SPACE BETWEEN at the Goss-Michael Foundation, seamlessly blends technology, biology, and the artist. Curated by Ed Bartlett of The Future Tense, Adam’s works immediately captivate the viewer through large scale, almost intimate works. It is an absolute must-see, at Goss-Michael Foundation. This is a must-see exhibition, and there will be a artist talk at 12pm in the gallery on Saturday 4th October (free admission) and an evening closing reception. Email ed@thefuturetense.net for more details.

Q: ‘The Space Between’ refers to the title of this exhibition at the Goss-Michael Foundation- How did you choose to incorporate both biology and technology in your pieces? I think it was inevitable with the fusion of biology and technology and the blurring of the borders where art meets science. I didn’t want to have any limits on the selection process of images I incorporated in this show, so as a consequence the show is a sort of visual reference to many of the things that interest me. Some of the biological images would be impossible to photograph without recent advancements in science or the collaboration with other professions, and so ultimately I would have been unable to put this show together at any other time in history.

Q: ‘Fearless’ is one of your cut-out pieces and you chose to not directly apply the hand-cut paper to the background. How does the evolution and difference in the bend of the paper correlate to your ideas behind the piece? Fearless is a large drawing on hand-cut paper attached to the wall in a way which allows it to move with time, constantly changing as if it were an organic entity in its own. By allowing this and using only natural materials – paper and charcoal – I hope to reflect the source material which is largely microbiological. The title ‘Fearless’ references the gene in mice that scientists have learnt to suppress and how this may effect mankind’s ability to control learnt fear. We are only born with two fears – falling and loud noises – and the rest we learn from our environment.

Q: In your piece ‘Imperfect Symmetry’, you have now included an option to change the LED lights inside, via iPhone as well as adding frosted glass to the edges. What are some other materials involved in this piece and why did you choose blue for this exhibition? Imperfect Symmetry is the first piece you see as you enter the exhibition. From the hot Dallas sunshine you come into a dark, cool room with a glowing blue light box. We wanted to emphasis this contrast – coming from London the light here is intense. This piece is made from hand-cut white felt backed onto cotton, so with the lights off it is a minimal, tranquil work. I actually prefer it with the lights off but it has the ability to be two very different pieces at day or night.

Q: In ‘Permanent Traces’, how many layers of fabric were used, what type and also why did you choose this type in particular? It is created from several layers of transparent fabric, cut and stretched in layers a fraction of an inch in front of each other so each layer has an effect on the previous. I chose the fabric because of its sheer quality, so that in some light it is difficult to see where the fabric stops and the shadow begins.

Q: ‘Communion’, it’s one of the boldest pieces in this exhibition, using dark blue velvet as material to completely absorb all the light, and it’s paired with Refract, an incredibly soft piece using Satin. What were the inspirations for these pieces and the symbolism of their titles? The play with light and different materials is something I’ve been experimenting with by using one thing to emphasis the quality of another. The physicality of velvet contrasts with the ephemeral nature of transparent paper.

Q: ‘Genus’, like many of your cut-out pieces, is multi-dimensional and cut with a surgical scalpel by yourself- How many hours (on average) are put into your pieces? Too many! A several hundred hours on each piece. I don’t have any studio assistants as I want to do everything myself and as a consequence I only make about 15-20 works a year.

Q: ‘Beyonder’ is definitely a standout in this exhibition, because its composition differs greatly from the other pieces. What was the inspiration behind this piece? It comes from the Taman Negara rainforest in Malaysia. I visited a few years ago and took hundreds of photographs – a challenge in itself as it was monsoon season and I was covered in leeches and mosquito bites. I wanted to reflect the spiritual peace I found there. Some things make us feel significant (our effect on the world) and some our own insignificance (our place in the world.) This work is more about the latter.

Q: In your piece ‘The Space Between’, you quite literally incorporate yourself into your work by including microscopic images of your own chromosomes and DNA, layered with other organic images. How did this idea initially come about?

As my work and process evolved I started to incorporate more specific or complicated subject matter by collaborating with scientists. It seemed natural to use myself as the source material as I was then able to have more control on the images that were taken by focusing on specific things. All art is to a degree self referential and biographical so the fact that I am part of it is inevitable.

Q: What are some of your other inspirations in different forms of media? In general, the life around me and anything that I subconsciously pick up on, and more specifically my 3 year old son who has change my outlook on my work and what I create. I have just had a small drawing he made framed and when I come back in October for closing events at the Goss-Michael Foundation I may bring it. After all, it’s a bi-product of the greatest thing I’ve created.

Contact

Adam Ball

adamballonline.com

Twitter: @AdamBallArtist

Ed Bartlett, The Future Tense

thefuturetense.net

The Goss-Michael Foundation

gossmichaelfoundation.org

All images Copyright © Ekaterina Kouznetsova

#adamball